


The Dance, Part I

by zinke



Series: What We Didn't See [3]
Category: West Wing
Genre: F/M, Friendship, Missing Scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-02-13
Updated: 2007-02-13
Packaged: 2017-10-12 04:45:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,231
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/120952
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zinke/pseuds/zinke
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>CJ decided to take advantage of a rare opportunity to question Josh on a subject he had become much too adept at avoiding over the past few months.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Dance, Part I

**Author's Note:**

> A full explanation of this insanity of a series can be found in the Author's Notes in the first installment: ['Checking References'](http://zinkefic.dreamwidth.org/6153.html). While you don't really need to have read the earlier installments to understand this one, you wouldn't want to miss out, would you?
> 
> Thanks again go to Amara for the beta.

* * * *

"Dance first. Think later. It's the natural order."   
-Samuel Beckett

* * * *

"Come and dance with me, brood-boy."

"Huh?"

CJ arched an imperious eyebrow at the look of utter befuddlement on his face. "Dancing. You know, an activity that guests at a wedding reception traditionally take part in."

"I'm kind of doing something right now," he said distractedly, eyes dropping back to the tattered piece of paper pinched between his fingers.

"Nothing that you can't come back to after taking a gorgeous, and dare I say powerful woman for a turn on the dance floor."

His eyes snapped to hers, as a smirk hinted on his lips. "Just had to throw that in there, didn't you?"

"Got your attention, didn't it?" She cocked her head sharply towards the already crowded space. "Let's go."

He hesitated for only a moment before finally stuffing the focus of his worries into his jacket pocket and rising stiffly from his seat. "I think that power's gotten to your head there, CJ."

She merely harrumphed softly as he set his hand to her back and led her towards the dance floor. Taking her hand aloft in his, he set a gentle pace as they swayed amongst the other pairs on the floor. "I'd have thought you'd be back in the West Wing by now."

"What do you mean?" she asked, knowing all to well what he meant.

"He was almost an hour late, CJ. It had to have been something big."

"Nothing that can't wait," she dismissed with a forced smile and the dim hope that he'd just let the matter rest.

She groaned inwardly as, true to form, he continued his pursuit. "C'mon, CJ. I think I've had enough knuckle-whitening suspense for one day. This isn't something that's going to give me a headache tomorrow, is it?"

"Montgomery and Goodwin? Don't tell me—"

"No!" he replied forcefully. "No."

She could see in his expression that there was more to say than simply 'no', but didn't feel she had the right to press the issue. Instead, she decided to take advantage of a rare opportunity to question him on a subject he had become much too adept at avoiding over the past few months. "Donna's been doing a great job as spokesperson."

"Mm-hm."

She didn't think it had been possible, but Josh's expression seemed to fall even further at the mention of their friend. "Josh? What's going on?"

"Going on?" he asked stupidly, suddenly very interested in the scuff marks on the toes of his wingtips.

"I've known you both for almost ten years, Josh. I think I can tell when there's a thing going on between you two. So, spill."

"You're right, she has been doing well," he replied, deftly dodging the question. "She's had a lot of good ideas; the Congressman likes her; she relates well to the press... You've taught her well, Obi-Wan."

"She didn't learn all that from me, Josh."

"Well, she sure as hell didn't learn it from me."

She blinked several times in surprise both at his words and at the bitterness behind them. "What makes you think that?"

"CJ, must I remind you of my one disastrous attempt at working a press room?"

She couldn't help but grin at the memory. "The Republican party is going to be endorsing universal health care before I allow myself to forget that day. What I meant was that while she may have picked up a few things from me, and from her work on the Russell campaign, you're the one who took the time to teach her everything else she needed to know to play the game."

"Not according to her," he muttered petulantly.

"Ah," she breathed. "You two are still fighting."

His eyes widened and his shoulder tensed under her hand as he spat out, rapid-fire, "No! Yes! I..." His posture wilted as he breathed out a heavy sigh. "We're not fighting."

"Then... what's the problem?"

"CJ, this really isn't any of your business."

She tried not to be insulted by his rebuff; after all, he was right. It had been months since they had spoken about anything other than matters of state or the campaign; it had been nearly a year since they'd spent any time together socially, outside the walls of the White House. And while she wasn't sure there had been any way to avoid the estrangement, ever since Toby's departure she'd become acutely aware of just how isolated she'd become in recent months, and how much she missed her old friends.

Taking in his guarded expression, she made an abrupt and risky decision. "I'm going to give you some unsolicited advice."

"CJ," he whined while trying to step away.

Bracing her arms, she gripped his hand and shoulder more tightly to prevent his escape. "No, you listen to me." His eyes locked onto hers and narrowed in a silent challenge. She returned the glare until, finally, she felt his muscles relax in silent acquiescence. "I don't care what you think she's done to you, and I don't care what she thinks it is you're responsible for. You both need to suck it up and get over it."

"We have. I am. Trying to." He looked at her sadly. "I'm not quite as hopeless as you think I am."

"I've thought you many things, Josh, but hopeless is not one of them. Misguided, maybe. Perhaps even bumbling, but never hopeless." She regarded him with a soft smile. "You do figure things out, Josh. Sometimes it just takes a little while. Or a lot of while. Usually a lot of while."

His reply was quiet, but she could hear the affection behind it. "Thanks."

"Anytime."

They danced in companionable silence for several minutes, CJ feeling an almost forgotten sense of solace in his company. As she absently scanned the crowd from over Josh's shoulder, her gaze caught sight of a solitary figure in a chocolate brown dress sitting at a far table, picking listlessly at the contents of her plate.

Planting her feet, she stopped moving and waited patiently for him to notice. He did, a moment later, and looked at her, visibly perplexed. "What?"

"It's time for you to try harder," she directed in a tone that brooked no room for argument, as she inclined her head in Donna's direction. His look of befuddlement increased as he turned and scanned the corner of the room she'd indicated. CJ could sense the moment he saw her. "She looks like a woman badly in need of a turn on the dance floor," she whispered in his ear, "and my return to the business of running the country, as you astutely observed earlier, is long overdue."

And with that, she left him, sweeping gracefully through the crowd, stopping to shake hands with a Senator, the Secretary of Agriculture, a slightly tipsy Prime Minister. Reaching the door, she turned, and smiled at the sight: He was bent slightly at the waist, leaning into her as he spoke into her ear. She smiled a wide, toothy grin that seemed to light up the room, and took his outstretched hand with a bashful nod. He didn't let go of her hand as he led her to the dance floor and took her in his arms.

Breathing a sigh of relief, CJ turned, nodded to the agent holding the door, and left them to their dance.

 

*fin.*


End file.
